THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, October 6, 1994 TAG: 9410060473
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA
SOURCE: BY LANE DeGREGORY, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: MANTEO LENGTH: Long : 126 lines
Plans for moving Dare County's airport to the mainland could still take off, incumbent commissioners said.
But challengers in the upcoming November election want to keep expansion proposals grounded.
Candidates let fly on the airport and other issues Tuesday night at Manteo Middle School during the first of three scheduled ``Meet the Candidates'' events.
``We hope, still, to relocate the airport to the mainland,'' said Commissioner Geneva Perry, who holds the at-large seat on Dare County's seven-member governing board and is unopposed in her bid for re-election.
``I can't believe commissioners would even consider building a new airport on the mainland,'' Republican William L. Hauschild told the 24 people who had come to ask questions. ``If you all think new jails are expensive, try building an airport.''
A Colington Island resident, Hauschild will run against incumbent Democratic Commissioner Douglas W. Langford for the District II seat on Nov. 8. District II includes Nags Head, Colington and Kill Devil Hills voters.
The District I seat, currently held by Democratic Commissioner Robert Williams, represents Roanoke Island and Dare County's mainland. Williams lost to political newcomer Shirley Hassell during May's Democratic primary election. Hassell is running against Republican Charles D. Elms on the November ballot.
``That airport needs to be improved - it does not need to be expanded,'' said Elms, a former member of Dare County's Airport Authority who was kicked off the appointed panel by commissioners. ``Federal government won't allow a county-run airport on the mainland.''
Hassell did not oppose or support a mainland airport. Rather, she said, Dare County should run its airport as a business. ``In the 1994-95 budget, our commissioners set aside $386,000 to subsidize that airport,'' Hassell said, reading from a stack of papers. ``Let's see the airport commission treated as a business. Let them be on their own so taxpayers don't have to support that place.''
Education issues from class sizes to a new beach high school dominated much of Tuesday's two-hour question and answer session. In addition to commissioner candidates, Board of Education members Loretta Michael and Donna Buxton participated in the discussions. Both are unopposed in their bids for re-election to the four-year posts.
Dare County's Democratic Sheriff A.L. ``Bert'' Austin - who has held the top law enforcement post for 12 years - also attended the candidates night. His unaffiliated challenger, Charles Dail, did not attend because of a death in the family, said a League of Women's Voters representative who helped sponsor the evening event.
Speaking on the need for a high school on the northern beaches, incumbent commissioners Perry and Langford said they would ``defer to the Board of Education'' about any plans for future construction projects. Hassell said the issue should be put to all county voters in a referendum. Republican challengers Elms and Hauschild said they did not want to see the county's northern student population divided.
``I am concerned about the idea of having two high schools, two football teams, two marching bands in this area,'' Hauschild said. ``The optimum size for a high school is 1,500 students. That means house everyone in one big building - not split them into two smaller facilities.''
All candidates seemed to agree that commissioners need to build a new comprehensive county office complex. But they argued over whether tax increases should support the project. Incumbents Perry and Langford said higher taxes are almost inevitable given the increasing costs of constructing capital improvements.
``We've got a very good handle on the day-to-day operations of county government. But I'd be happy to vote for a tax increase as long as it would support new capital projects,'' Langford said.
``I'm not opposed to tax increases if necessary,'' Perry agreed. ``If we build a new county office complex and high school, we'll have to increase taxes. There's no way of getting around it.''
Hassell and the two Republican candidates said they were vehemently opposed to any tax hikes.
``The tax rate here is already so high, it's hard for some natives to live on the land they were born on,'' Elms said. ``We don't need to keep raising taxes just so politicians can pursue their grandiose schemes and dreams. I want to keep taxes in line. If elected, I won't raise them.''
Other issues raised by the candidates included:
Perry: Improve relationships with county employees; consolidate some basic services like water production.
Langford: Bring a high-tech hospital to Dare County; utilize the information highway's technological offerings; build a Hatteras Island bike path; permanently protect and stabilize N.C. Route 12 on Hatteras Island; develop the remaining ball fields on the county's 14-acre recreation site in Kill Devil Hills.
Hauschild: Cut down on overtime to exempt employees. Last year, Hauschild said, Dare County spent $171,000 in overtime - some paid to top-level executives; institute a bottle deposit bill to cut down on recycling needs; revise re-entry policies so that after emergency evacuations, residents will have access to the Outer Banks before outside property owners; work less for tourism interests and more for commercial fishermen.
Elms: Oppose offshore oil drilling, saltwater fishing licenses, a county-owned convention center and beach nourishment; support jetties for Oregon Inlet; explore a countywide water and sewer system; allow and encourage prayer in public schools.
Hassell: Continue to improve citizens' access to county government; decrease wasteful spending. ILLUSTRATION: DARE COUNTY ELECTIONS
Dare County elections will be held Nov. 8 for the offices of County
Commissioner, Sheriff and Board of Education. Three of the seven
commissioners' seats are up for re-election. Two school board seats
also will be filled. Both incumbent school board candidates are
unopposed. All seats carry four-year terms.
Additional ``Meet the Candidates'' nights are scheduled for 7 p.m.
Oct. 18 at Cape Hatteras School in Buxton and 7 p.m. Oct. 25 at
First Flight Middle School in Kill Devil Hills. Candidates give
opening and closing prepared statements. Audience members ask
questions for the remainder of the evening. Events, which are
sponsored by the League of Women Voters, are free and open to the
public.
To be eligible to vote in November's elections, mail-in registration
cards must be postmarked by Monday. Walk-in registration at the
Manteo Board of Elections office will be accepted through Oct. 17.
For more information about voter registration, call Lynda Midgett
(919) 473-1101, ext. 319.
KEYWORDS: DARE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS RACE CANDIDATES DEBATE by CNB